HBCU Culture | the yard | Keyona Porshaa`
Five people were shot on Morgan State University campus, 4 of which were students, Tuesday, Oct. 3. For the first time in the historically black university’s history, all activities slated to celebrate homecoming throughout the week will be cancelled as the investigation develops.
The victims, four men and one woman, ages 18 to 22, suffered injuries that are not life threatening, said Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley at a news conference.
Morgan State University, the HBCU affixed in Northeast Baltimore jump started their homecoming week of festivities with the crowning of Miss and Mister Morgan State, also known as coronation, in the Murphy FAC, Tuesday evening.
Following a beautiful event, students left the arts center heading toward the student center to continue the celebration when gunfire interrupted their movement. As students panicked, running for cover, the five victims were shot.
The Baltimore Banner reports that police cars were dispatched to the scene and campus safety officers kept bystanders away. Campus authorities issued a warning of a potential active shooter and instructed everyone to take cover and stay in place. A police helicopter echoed the instruction telling students to take shelter.
The timely warning remained in place for two hours, long distance parents grew worried as SWAT officers moved in and out of each dorm room in Thurgood Marshall Hall trying to locate the suspect.
“We did not locate the suspect,” Worley said. “We are still investigating and the details are very preliminary at this point.
Videos from some Morgan State Bears circulated social media of SWAT officers searching the dorm rooms with flashlights and guns drawn. Some people believe that that experience was compounded trauma. All of which Morgan State University President, David Wilson took heavily into consideration.
This is a very tragic incident on the campus of the national treasure, Morgan State University,” said Wilson. “By no means will it define who we are as a university.”
Classes were cancelled Wednesday and according to the Baltimore Banner, he held an emergency meeting to review the remaining events of events before deciding to cancel the week’s homecoming docket.
For HBCU graduates, we know what this time of fall means so it’s unfortunate that the Bears suffered such a traumatic turn of events. For Morgan State, this type of misfortune has vitiated their homecoming season three years in a row.
In October last year, a student was shot during an unsanctioned homecoming party outside the university’s student center. And in October 2021, a student was shot during a campus fight amid the homecoming celebrations.
As stakeholders of our beloved institutions, we have a duty to uphold peace and legacy. So, for the remaining HBCUs—Shaw, Johnson C. Smith, Fayetteville State, Winston-Salem State University and more (NC is home, by the way), scheduled to wake up early to watch the parade, cheer on our teams as they take the field, watch competitive step and comedy shows and flood the yards for reunion, let’s do our best to have good, safe, fun.
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